


triple sweet, half ice

by associate



Category: HELIOS Rising Heroes (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Awkward Crush, Dialogue Heavy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:02:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28496514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/associate/pseuds/associate
Summary: Gast feels like serving this regular's order to a human being counts as a war crime, or at least violates some kind of ethical norm, but hey—this "Will" guy tips well.
Relationships: Will Sprout/Gast Adler
Kudos: 17





	triple sweet, half ice

**Author's Note:**

> warning: dumb

"Uh, just to make sure I've got your order right, that'll be a medium iced frappe latte caramel whip mochaccino with vanilla syrup, chocolate sauce, two extra pumps of caramel, extra chocolate chips, extra whip, and... triple sweetness?"

The customer continues fiddling with his phone without looking up. "With half the ice, but yes." A notification pings and the man sighs. "Actually, could you add three shots of espresso to that?"

Could Gast do that? Physically, yes. Ethically, he has his doubts. "I... We'll have to use a large cup for that so there'll be an extra upcharge on top of the espresso add-ons. And the other add-ons."

"I know." So this guy has ordered this monstrosity before? And is still alive? Must be new to the area, maybe a college kid then. Otherwise this means that one of his coworkers had already wrangled this crime against coffee and thought to warn no one else of it. (In which case Gast will need to have very polite words with them)

"Alright then, your total's on the screen below. What name should we call when your drink's ready?"

"Will," the customer—Will—responds shortly as he counts out exact change. Gasts deposits the money in the till as Will pulls out an extra dollar bill and shoves it in the tip jar.

"Thanks a bunch, Will. We'll give you a shout when it's done."

——☕——

It may be a tad too forward of him but it's been a slow day and Gast is grasping for any opportunity to just talk with anyone even, god forbid, a customer.

"Will you be taking those extra three shots of espresso today?" he asks as he preemptively punches in a drink order.

The customer furrows his brow. "I haven't ordered yet? You might be mixing me up with a pickup."

Gast waves his hand. "Nah, I just figured with an order as specific as yours that you'd get the same thing every time."

"And you remember my order?" Wilson? No, Will asks skeptically. Gast recites his order in a single breath and Will nods, impressed. "Sorry for doubting you, it's just that I don't even remember my own orders half the time."

"Well, you're pretty memorable. Your order's pretty memorable, I mean," Gast explains. "Most of the people that stop by this café get simpler drinks, so the more complicated orders end up standing out."

Will laughs and Gast is seized with an emotion that he can't quite identify. "I hope you don't mean that in a bad way!"

"Oh no, not at all," Gast reassures him, although he maybe did mean it just a little bit in a bad way (though not in a mean way!), "Shakes things up a little, ya know?"

"Makes sense! I help out at a florist on breaks and it's the specific orders that are easier for me to remember in the sea of dozens of red roses." While it wasn't Gast's initial expectation, he can't say that a flower shop doesn't fit Will. He can already imagine the guy surrounded by blooms, smiling at them softly the way he is now.

Gast clears his throat awkwardly. "Well, shop's empty right now, so I don't need a name, but... it's Will, right?"

Will's smile brightens as he pays for his drink and yeah, there are absolutely flowers blooming in the air around him right now. "That's right..." he squints at his nametag. "...Gast."

Gast finds himself grateful, as the guy stuffs a bill into the tip jar, that Will can only see his nametag on his chest, and not his heart pounding within it.

——☕——

"Hey, Will! Will ya be having the usual drink today?"

Will gratifies him with a soft laugh. "Does it count as the usual if it's only my third time here?"

Gast continues to make conversation as he begins the arduous process of inputting Will's order. "Three times pretty much makes you a regular, with how out of the way this place is."

"I guess you'll be seeing a lot more of me then!" God, Gast hopes he will.

This might be too familiar, and Gast doesn't even want to begin to examine why it's so easy for him to talk to Will when female customers make him want to duck into the walk-in fridge, but he takes the chance anyway. "You seem like you know our menu pretty well though, all of that considered. Definitely wouldn't've expected that out of someone their first time here."

Will looks away sheepishly and the faintest hint of a blush dusts his cheeks. "I've been meaning to try this place out for a while, so I looked up the menu and memorized what I wanted to get so I wouldn't hold up the line."

"Huh. That's kinda cute. Cool." Gast clears his throat loudly. "Cool. Yeah. Well. There's usually not much of a line here so you don't have to worry about that," he says, waving his hand broadly at the empty café.

"I'll gladly do my part to keep a small business open,"

"Well don't do it at the expense of your blood sugar." Will laughs awkwardly as he opens his wallet to pay and Gast holds a hand up. "You left before I noticed, but your last visit you tipped a ten instead of a one. This one can be on the house."

"That was intentional," Will explains as he insistently presses another ten into Gast's palm. "It was an apology for how rude I was my first time here."

Gast blinks. "That was you being rude? You just acted like any ole customer."

"So, rude."

Gast finally takes the bill and puts in the till, counting out the change. "You said you work at a florist, right? So you'd know that we get customers a million times worse than that. Not paying attention to the cashier is the least of your sins. Not to say that you've got any." An expression that Gast can't quite read flickers across Will's face. "If it really bothers you, we can just pretend this is your first time here, alright?"

Will shakes his head then nods. "I wouldn't want to forget your kindness, but... okay."

"So stranger, what's your name?"

"It's Will."

**Author's Note:**

> idk how to characterize this ship in an au where will doesn't want gast dead on sight but hopefully this passes muster. canon ex-barista gast lives in my head rent free.


End file.
